Attys React To High Court Taking Up Immigration Action Case

Robert S. Whitehill was featured in the Law360 article, “Attys React To High Court Taking Up Immigration Action Case” Full text can be found in the January 15, 2016, issue, but a synopsis is below.

Fox Rothschild’s Robert Whitehall took part in an interview with Law360 to discuss the significance of the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the appeal of the federal government that blocked Obama’s executive actions on immigration.

"The president of the United States must 'take care that the laws be faithfully executed' even if he disagrees with the purpose of the law. As the clause relates to Deferred Action for Parents of Citizens (DAPA), it is a fascinating constitutional question. For the millions of parents of U.S. citizens whose only legal violation is being undocumented — not being criminals or terrorists, only being the folks next door — the importance of the president’s exercise of prosecutorial discretion so that they can be lawfully present can’t be overstated. In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA) to address the millions of undocumented. Those who qualified for amnesty were on the road to citizenship. In contrast, DAPA merely offers lawful presence. Before signing IRCA into law, President Ronald Reagan said: 'I believe in the idea of amnesty for those who put down roots and lived here, even though some time back they entered illegally.' I couldn’t say it any better than that."